In a Wasteland of Wonders

As any visitor to the Indian desert fortress-city of Jaisalmer will tell you, it's a good deal easier to explore the 12th century citadel these days. Your path might still be barred by curly horned cows, spotted pigs or women goatherds. You might still fall victim to silver-tongued shopkeepers who spring from tiny medieval doorways while you gaze, speechless, at magnificent sandstone palaces, ornate Jain temples or the finely wrought manors of the palace lite. But now you're less likely to find yourself ankle-deep in what used to be Jaisalmer's main impediment: human waste. Gone are the days when alleyways doubled...

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